Mandurah life savers prepare for big summer of patrols

The club will be surveying Mandurah beaches from 10am to 2pm each Sunday, but will significantly amp up it’s patrols during the Christmas and New Year’s break.

This year will also see the club expand its regular patrols to Town Beach.

“Usually we just patrol Town Beach over the holidays as it’s the popular spot among beach-goers, but this year we will have life savers there in the lead up as well,” Mandurah Surf Life Saving Club president Elaine Daniels said.

Between 200 and 300 people are expect to hit the beach over popular holidays like Boxing Day.

Mrs Daniels urges swimmers to remain to vigilant of rips in the water.

“Rips can be a real danger when people don’t realise where they’re swimming in one. They carry you out and make you tired, so it’s important to stay clear from them,” she said.

“Usually the flags at the beach will be set up in areas where there are no rips, or at the very least life savers will be keeping an eye on them so it is safe.

“It can be hard for life savers to handle the big crowds. They treat people for simple first aid and have to keep an eye on the water, so if people swim between the flags it makes it much easier for them.”

Standard patrols include life savers surveying the beach, talking to swimmers to alert them of dangers and also using boats on roving patrols in the water.

They must also undertake a skills maintenance evaluation each year to ensure their training is sufficient.

For more information on surf life saving, or to join, visit the club’s website at mandurahslsc.asn.au